1. Technical Field
The invention is concerned with the fabrication of devices by procedures including lithographic delineation. Contemplated devices may be discrete or integrated but have the common characteristic of being dependent upon feature size or spacing which may be as small as a micrometer or less. Semiconductor integrated circuits are critically dependent on small dimensions, and future generations are expected to benefit by the invention. Prospectively, integrated circuits will increasingly include optical devices, and these too will be advanced by the inventive teaching.
2. Terminology
The arts involved, commercial as well as scientific, make use of a variety of terms which are not consistently applied. It is convenient to define terms as used in this document. Following definitions are in terms of electron lithography-the area of prime importance as well as that of greatest need of definition. Terms as applied to x-ray or other electromagnetic radiation are analogous.